Kukla's Korner Hockey

NEW YORK (October 24, 2013) -- Commissioner Gary Bettman today upheld the 10-game suspension that was assessed t oBuffalo Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta by the Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head o fColumbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson in NHL Game No. 49 in Buffalo on October 10.

Commissioner Bettman heard Kaleta's appeal of the original decision, assessed Oct. 15, at a hearing in New York on Monday.

Kaleta is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, will forfeit $152,439.00. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

The fact that part of the NHLPA’s defense of Kaleta hinges on Johnson making a material change to his body position just prior to contact sickens me.

I get the NHLPA wanting to test out the appeal system and that they don’t really have a choice but to defend a player to make sure he’s given a fair ruling, but they’re essentially throwing a non-rulebreaking member of their own group under the bus in trying to craft an argument that what he did was actually defensible.

If I were Jack Johnson, I’d have some serious questions about the NHLPA’s interest in my safety given that I apparently was never asked to give testimony before part of their defense of my union brother said that I bear responsibility for making a hockey play and having my head picked by a predatory and dirty shitbag like Patrick Kaleta.

“If I were Jack Johnson, I’d have some serious questions about the NHLPA’s interest in my safety given that I apparently was never asked to give testimony before part of their defense of my union brother said that I bear responsibility for making a hockey play and having my head picked by a predatory and dirty shitbag like Patrick Kaleta.”

This. It amazes me that the majority of the NHLPA (who aren’t dirty and thus are presumably more likely to be victims rather than perpetrators) stands for this sort of thing. If I were Johnson, I’d pay my dues in nickels for the rest of the season.